“Orphan Black” recap (2.05): Sestra, Sestra

Previously on Orphan Black, Helena escaped from her Prolethean prison, Cosima started to research her illness, Sarah found Cal, Kira’s dad, Rachel’s home videos of her happy home life were uncovered, and Henrik made Helena’s baby in a test tube.

We begin at Rachel’s apartment, where Helena has drawn her little stick figure all over the place. Rachel shows up, but Leekie says she doesn’t have to be here, she doesn’t have to see this. Rachel wants to though, and asks to see Daniel’s body. She swallows in a way that suggests she has feelings she’s trying to suppress, but she doesn’t let them show. She controls them. She closes Daniel’s eyes and Leekie apologizes, saying he was loyal. Even though no one asks him, Paul says it wasn’t Sarah who did this, but Rachel doesn’t need convincing. Rachel knows Helena did this. Leekie confirms that the security cameras showed Sarah and Helena leaving together, twins together again. As they zip Daniel up in a body bag, dead for real and for good this time, Rachel notices that her home video has been played. Leekie blames Rachel’s aggressive methods for this bloodshed, but she says this is only the beginning.

Back at Felix’s loft, Helena is on Felix’s couch, much to his chagrin. Sarah tells him that Helena saved her life, that she has someplace for her to stay, she just needs clothes so Helena isn’t wandering around the city in a bloody wedding gown. As Felix walks by the couch toward his closet, Helena hisses at him.

“I make funny, sestra, yes?”

Sarah scolds her, talking to her like a little sestra and says he’s family. She tells Helena he’s one of their sisters, knowing It’s a word she understands. Sarah calls her meathead again and Helena responds, adorably, “Do not call me this.” But she does understand; Felix is sestra. Sarah tells her to clean up and get dressed, then asks Felix to watch her, just for a little while. Felix agrees, because he too understands the importance of sestrahood and gives Sarah his laptop so she can Skype with Kira.

Speaking of Kira, she’s with Cal and in need of new socks. He offers to buy her new ones and opens a compartment that contains a hefty wad of cash, more than one wallet, and a gun.

Meanwhile, Rachel tells Paul that she needs a new monitor. When he looks confused, Rachel tells him that she was raised self-aware, but that doesn’t mean she’s exempt from the rules of the program. She just has the advantage of knowing who her monitor is. Of having control. Leekie says his role as monitor would involve full time personal security, and a regular report of her health to Leekie. Paul reminds them that he has no choice since he’s still being blackmailed, but Rachel, ever the humble optimist, tells him that it’s a promotion. She then asks Leekie how his research is going. He tells Rachel that it’s promising enough to treat Cosima. With a touch of sociopathy in her voice, she tells him to shut down the test. She will hold Cosima’s treatment hostage until Sarah turns herself in.

Cosima is at the DYAD, video chatting with Scott about provisional patents and secret military contracts. Scott whines that he can’t be there to research with them, and Cosima has Delphine tell him that if he came to work with them, they’d have to kill his family. And what’s funny is she might not be entirely joking. Scott laughs awkwardly and Delphine hangs up on him.

Cosima muses about cute little Scott but Delphine is too concerned with the papers in her hand to notice the adorable, amused look on Cosima’s face. The papers are about a stem cell line that is compatible with Cosima, which is good news. The bad news is, these papers were meant for Leekie, who hadn’t told them about these tests, even though he was supposed to tell them everything. They wonder if it’s because it’s experimental, but Cosima says she’ll try anything. Delphine says she will, too.

Just so long as it doesn’t hurt the dreads.

Sarah is Skyping with Kira, who tells her mum that she’s not a monkey anymore. She’s a leopard now. She then runs off and tells Sarah she can talk to “daddy” now. Cal apologizes; he keeps trying to get her to call him Cal. Sarah doesn’t mind, she’s just glad they’re safe and close enough to get her when she’s ready.

Felix brings Helena to Art’s apartment, telling her to be on her best behavior, and calling her “little sestra.” When she gets inside, Art gives her a pat down, but Felix is sure he won’t find anything. But Helena is smarter than she looks and has pocketed a pen, which Art confiscates before slapping handcuffs on her and telling her that she’s safe here, in a way that also reminds her she can’t escape. Helena isn’t having any of Art’s crap and says he lies with pigs, making little piggie noises at him to prove her point.

I don’t understand how someone so terrifying can also be so adorable.

Felix is ready to get the hell out of dodge and wishes Art luck, telling him to try using food to tame the beast.